Today we’ll discuss undervalued players to invest in entering the 2022 NFL season. We’ll cover a few players, from a 2021 underperformer looking for a resurgence in the middle of his career, a well-known name who is getting long in the tooth, to a young player who should still have plenty of tread left on the tires. These players are in different stages of their NFL careers, but they all have one thing in common. They can be acquired at a discount now in comparison to earlier in their respective careers. With rookie hype season in full swing, the time to add these players to a dynasty roster looking to make some noise this season is right now.
Some Context:
- Player ages reflect the age each player will be at the conclusion of the 2022 season
- 2021 positional finishes reflect a full PPR format
- Trade values are intended to reflect 1QB values
- Draft pick values in Super Flex Leagues may vary 2-3 spots comparatively
- The results of the 2022 NFL draft could impact the fantasy outlook these players
Miles Sanders (Age 25) – 2021 RB44
Okay, if you rostered Sanders in any format last season, you’re probably ready to close this blog and never come back. But, before you go, let’s dissect his 2021 season and find out where it went wrong and what positives we saw that could lead to future production. Sanders dealt with both ankle and hand injuries during the 2021 campaign which resulted in him missing 5 contests. Neither ailment sidelined Sanders from the team’s Wild Card Playoff game with the Bucs, indicating that we are not looking at a long-term injury that will impact Sanders going forward.
The second factor leading to Sanders’ brutal finish a year ago was his inability to find the end zone. Miles Sanders hit pay dirt on exactly 0 of his 171 touches during the 2021 season. That’s right. ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, Not. One. Single. Touchdown. Naturally, your immediate thought process may be to assume that his lack of end zone visits stems from an inability to make the most of his carries. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Among RBs who handled at least 130 carries, Sanders 5.5 yards per carry (YPC) ranked tied for 2nd in the league on the season. With Philadelphia making a commitment to Jalen Hurts (who spent much of last season running for his life) as their starting QB for 2022, it we would behoove the Eagles to feed the ball to their most efficient runner.
What Will he cost?
I’d be comfortable investing a late first or an early second in this upcoming draft. This class looks to have some solid potential producers, but as we enter the end of the first round, things start to get murky. If you’re holding on to a late 1st or an early 2nd rounder, you’re likely to end up with the 7th or 8th WR prospect off the board. While I’m all for a quality WR prospect developing on my bench, let’s face it. Those guys are going to be there going forward, whether it be in the 2nd round this season or in the late first round of future drafts. If the last two seasons have taught us anything, it’s that attrition is a real factor, and no skill position takes a beating on the football field like running backs. If my dynasty squad is ready to compete right now, I’d be willing to buy in on Sanders at this price.
Melvin Gordon (Age 29) – 2021 RB22
Speaking of not reaching the end zone, anyone remember Gordon’s 2015 rookie season when he handled 217 touches and couldn’t buy a TD? So do I. Over the 6 NFL seasons that followed, Gordon rebounded in a big way. He has been a solid fantasy contributor, despite what his detractors have had to say about him along the way. Granted, he posted a sub 4 YPC in 3 of his first 4 seasons in the league and has put the football on the ground a little too often. Blah blah blah. The reality is we’re playing a game where success and failure are determined entirely by a player’s statistical output. Believe me, it hasn’t been all that bad having 5 season’s worth of 1100+ scrimmage yards and 10 or more TDs in your lineup over that time frame.
So, if he’s been productive, why is he a “buy low” candidate? Well, in addition to Gordon entering his age 29 campaign, the city in which he will play football during the 2022 season is also a question mark as of this writing. He and the Broncos have openly discussed a reunion in the mile high city, which would involve Gordon once again sharing the backfield with Javonte Williams. Let’s be clear here, Williams, not Gordon, is the future at running back for Denver. But Gordon has stated that he still feels he has a lot to contribute to an NFL team, and a return to Denver would almost certainly involve him having a role in an offense that should be much improved with Russell Wilson under center. If Gordon and his newly hired agent are not able to come to terms with his former team, there is no reason to believe that any team bringing him in would do so without planning on utilizing him right out of the gate. Gordon’s skill set as both a runner and capable pass catcher makes him a relatively safe investment for the upcoming season, regardless of where he ends up.
What Will he Cost?
If you remember from our last blog post, there is a natural tendency in dynasty to devalue players as they begin to age. No position group ages out faster than running backs, and entering his age 29 season, It is more probable than not that those rostering Gordon are likely getting antsy to move on. With the NFL draft season upon us, your 2022 rookie draft pick are nearing an all-time high in value. Couple those factors with Gordon remaining unsigned, and the stars are aligning to acquire this player for a mid-late 2nd round pick. If you can find a manger who is working on a rebuild, a package consisting of two 3rd round picks this year may be seen as an attractive offer this time of year.
Cam Akers (Age 23) – 2021 RB129
The youngest of our 3 buy low candidates, it almost feels unfair assigning him a positional ranking after appearing in just one game during the 2021 regular season. The reason for Akers abysmal ranking? As you’re probably aware, a pre training camp Achilles tear sidelined the Florida State product for the first 16 games of the season. Make no mistake, this is a brutal injury for any athlete to bounce back from. But let’s turn the clocks back a bit. As a rookie in 2020, Akers performed well after earning the opportunity to take on a larger workload in the second half of that season. In their two game playoff run, Akers posted 49 touches for 272 scrimmage yards and a pair of TDs. That was under the Jared Goff lead offense who, let’s face it, was holding that team back. Insert Matthew Stafford into the Ram’s offense heading into the 2021 season and Akers’ stock shot up to the moon. Many well-respected dynasty experts had Akers firmly entrenched in their top 5 positional rankings prior to his injury.
That was then, this is now. Coming off a lack luster playoff showing with the Rams, Akers value almost certainly would have been better off if he had simply not played at all during LA’s championship run. But realistically, what did people expect? Most Achilles tears take between 9 months and a year to recover from. Akers returned from his injury in 5 months and was dropped into highly competitive playoff games with very minimal reps under his belt. To even be on the field in that time frame shows a remarkable recovery ability that shouldn’t be overlooked here. Another factor working in his favor is his age. At only 23 years old, Akers will be nearly 14 months into his recovery and have logged a full training camp as the team’s top back. Secondly, the Rams have done nothing to add to their running back room that currently includes Darrell Henderson, Jake Funk, Xavier Jones and Calais Raymond in addition to Akers. You’ll get a pass if you’ve never heard of a few of those guys. Thus far, the team is telling us with their actions that they are looking to keep Akers involved in an offense that should again be a top unit in 2022.
What Will he Cost?
This is a tricky one. It is likely that your league mate who is currently rostering Akers invested a lot in him and just had to endure watching him spend the entirety of the 2021 fantasy season on their bench or in an IR spot. If that manager was going to move away from Akers for pennies on the dollar, they likely would have done so already. You’re very likely going to have to pony up a mid-2022 1st, and possibly even need to add a sweetener on top. Something to the effect of a 2022 or a 2023 2nd would also likely have to be on the table to have a chance at getting a deal done. If that’s what it takes, I’m in. While there is a degree of risk involved here, I want to swing for the fences on a back that appears to be locked into a high-octane offense for at least the next two seasons.
